~New Year~

Thank goodness that 2011 is finally here. For me, 2010 wasn't the greatest year. It gave me heartache and stress. I am so glad to leave it behind and venture into this new year. A few highlights of last year that were worthy of remembrance include~

1. Salt Water Tank

I received a salt water tank for my 28th birthday. I was able to set it up and get it running in 2010. It's crazy to look at these pictures and see how much it has changed since this was taken. It truly takes patience to have one of these (or lots of money). You get these tiny pieces of coral and feel like they never grow but now my tank is gorgeous and has large corals. 

2. Fabulous trip to Wendover with two fabulous friends

Trihn, Becky and I ventured out to Wendover for some Boyz 2 Men. Who could resist the $10 ticket price? And a night in Wendover with some amazing friends. Although I am not a gambler at all, I had a great time. The buffet is a dangerous place to go....ate way too much. Anyone up for a quick fun bus trip???

3. Growing our first garden

This was exciting to see grow in front of our eyes. I am so glad I took pictures because it truly is amazing how fast plants grow. Steve planted 20 tomato plants, 6 green pepper plants, 3 cucumber plants, 2 basil plants, 1 zucchini and 1 green onion plant. We made fresh salsa by the quarts each week. Lots of spaghetti sauce, I made huge batches at the end and froze them. I tried my hand at canning salsa and it didn't turn out. It made me quite sad to waste all those tomatoes. I chopped and froze lots of green peppers. I made lots of homemade tomato basil soups. I keep asking for a deep chest freezer or something to that sorts. I really enjoy making things and freezing them for winter use, especially if we have enough to enjoy at that time and freeze!

4. Krew

My best friend Shirley delivered her sweet souled baby boy, Krew! He added so much joy to my life in a time that wasn't so joyful. His smile is a heartbreaker. Shirley was my main  confidant during this time. I will be forever grateful for the advice and simply just listening to me bear my soul to her. Thank you Shirles!

5. John Mayer with my favorite friends

Steve and I joined Shirley and Brandon for a little John Mayer, I really love all his music. My cousin Janna joined us for the concert that night. It was a great night, we had curbside drop-off and pick-up. Great music, great friends!

6. Pony Express Trail

Steve and I took an adventure with a group of friends on the Pony Express Trail. Let me tell you....it isn't the most exciting trail but it gives you perspective of what these brave men and horses had to endure to deliver mail. It was a long 5 days of travel to South Lake Tahoe on the trail but it was fun and exciting to see old buildings from that time.

7. Losing 10 pounds

Yep, I did it! And so far it's staying off. Now if I can get the last 10-15 pounds off I would be in a whole lot healthier and fitter body. My friends Shirley and her sister Amber put on a weight loss competition that went through the holidays. We all contributed money and could lose weight any way we liked. Who ever lost the most won the cash....well I didn't win but I did with myself on losing 10 pounds. It's amazing how much better I feel, the jeans I fit into, and shirts look good on me! 

8. Disneyland

I took a trip to Disneyland with my parents, brother and niece in December. It was a nice vacation to end the year with. Riley is so sweet and it really makes me want a child. We had a connection out there and ever since then. I don't have my own child but with her I feel this connection and love that I haven't ever felt. Even with my other niece and nephew it's not like this. It was fun to go and Disneyland is so different when a kid is there. I can't wait to go again.

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I arranged to have photos of my family done on January 2, 2011. When I say family, I am talking about Steve's siblings and his parents and Madre (Mom's mom). Steve comes from a large family. There are seven kids total with 5 of them being married. As soon as I heard that Brian and Christina were coming into town with Matthew after Christmas, I was emailing my favorite photographer to see if she could take some pictures. It's not the greatest time of year to do photos but we never know when Brian and Christina would be in SLC again and with Madre getting older you never know how long we get to enjoy her presence. With some grumbling from one of the siblings, we still did manage to get the pictures taken. They turned out beautiful! We were all freezing our tushes off but it was worth it. 

God, my husband is hot! And those eyes still kill me!